| Church of St Mary the Virgin | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Church of St Mary the Virgin | |
| 51°40′01″N1°46′05″W / 51.6670°N 1.7681°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed building |
| Designated | 26 November 1958 |
| Administration | |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Diocese | Gloucester |
The Anglican Church of St Mary the Virgin at Kempsford in the Cotswold District of Gloucestershire, England, was built in the 12th century. It is a grade I listed building. [1]
The church was built in the 12th century, with the nave being dated to around 1120. [2] The chancel was added in the 13th century with further alterations in subsequent centuries. The tower was also a 13th-century construction but rebuilt in the 15th.
A Victorian restoration was carried out by George Edmund Street around 1858, and most of the internal furnishings date from this time. [1] [3]
In 2009 a National Lottery Heritage Fund was received to restore the tower and Victorian paintings. [4]
The parish is part of the South Cotswold Team Ministry benefice within the Diocese of Gloucester. [5]
The church has an eight-bay nave, chancel with wagon roof and a three-stage tower supported by diagonal buttresses. [1] The tower is surmounted by pinnacles and parapet. [2] It is supported by buttresses. [6] The tower has six bells, the oldest of which date from 1678. [7]
Inside the church is a plaque commemorating parishioners who died in World War II. [8] Because of limited space the organ was built over and around the tomb of Lord Coleraine. [9] [2]
Many of the monuments in the churchyard are also listed. [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]
